Saunas Improve Circulation, Reduce Heart Disease Risk

By Jeremy Appleton, ND

Healthnotes Newswire (October 4, 2001)?Men with risk factors for coronary heart disease may improve their circulation by taking regular saunas, according to a study published in this month?s edition of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.¹

The ability of blood vessels to dilate is impaired in people with high cholesterol,² hypertension,³ and diabetes.⁴ This problem, known as endothelial dysfunction, is believed to represent an early manifestation of hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis), and is also a characteristic of other diseases of the blood vessels, including erectile dysfunction.

Previous studies have demonstrated beneficial effects of saunas for people with chronic heart failure.^{5 6}

Researchers examined the effects of sauna therapy in 25 men with coronary risk factors such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, and smoking. Participants were treated with a 15-minute dry sauna bath (140° F) and then kept in a bed covered with blankets for 30 minutes once a day, for two weeks. Following the series of treatments, the researchers found a significant improvement in endothelial dysfunction.

Additional benefits of the treatment included statistically significant decreases in body weight, blood pressure, and fasting blood sugar levels. Although further research is needed, these findings suggest that sauna therapy could slow the progression of atherosclerosis.

References:

1. Imamura M, Biro S, Kihara T, et al. Repeated thermal therapy improves impaired vascular endothelial function in patients with coronary risk factors. J Am Coll Cardiol 2001;38:1083?8.
2. Sorensen KE, Celermajer DS, Georgakopoulos D, et al. Impairment of endothelium-dependent dilation is an early event in children with familial hypercholesterolemia and is related to the lipoprotein (a) level. J Clin Invest 1994;93:50?5.
3. Panza JA, Quyyumi AA, Brush JE, Jr, Epstein SE. Abnormal endothelium-dependent vascular relaxation in patients with essential hypertension. N Engl J Med 1990;323:22?7.
4. Johnstone MT, Creager SJ, Scales KM, et al. Impaired endothelium-dependent vasodilation in patients with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. Circulation 1993;88:2510?6.
5. Tei C, Horikiri Y, Park JC, et al. Acute hemodynamic improvement by thermal vasodilation in congestive heart failure. Circulation 1995;91:2582?90.
6. Tei C, Tanaka N. Thermal vasodilation as a treatment of congestive heart failure: a novel approach. J Cardiol 1996;27:29?30.

Jeremy Appleton, ND, is a licensed naturopathic physician, writer, and educator in the field of evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine. Dr. Appleton is Chair of Nutrition at the National College of Naturopathic Medicine.

Copyright © 2001 Healthnotes, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.